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The SR325e is the top-of-the-line model in Grado's Prestige Series, which has been updated for 2014. It retails for $295 (available for £300 in the UK and $450 in Australia) and gives some of the most open, detailed sound you'll find at this price, and is an impressive pair of headphones overall.

Grado, which is based in Brooklyn, N.Y., and builds most of its products there, has not changed the iconic exterior design of the headphones and like its SR325 predecessors (the previous model was the SR325i), his model has the same firm, bowl-shaped foam pads that apply a little more pressure to the outer edges of your ears than the more simple foam pads of the step-down $99 SR80e, which are arguably more comfortable. The SR8oe headphones are significantly lighter, but not of the same build quality as the SR325e model. Some people like Grado's earpads (they're user-replaceable, but overall we'd say this model's comfort level isn't up to the level of its sound quality -- it's good but not great.

Like all open-back models the SR325e headphones don't block external noise and they also leak sound, so they're not ideal for travelers or cranking your music in an open office environment. Unfortunately, they don't ship with a carrying case. And with the industrial-grade cord and beefy plug, the reality is that they're designed for home rather than mobile use (read: it's probably too stubby to fit into your smartphone's headphone jack, especially if you have a case).

Grado hasn't changed the design of its SR325 series, but the innards have been updated in the new 'e' series.
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Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable e-reader and e-publishing expert. He's also the author of the novels Knife Music and The Big Exit. Both titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, and Nook e-books.
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Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Home Theater, Inner Fidelity, Tone Audio, and Stereophile.
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